Wool coring device



9 1949 G. c. LE COMPTE ET AL, 274929153 WOOL CORING DEVICE Filed Nov. 8, 1946 3 Shets-Sheet l 1N VEN TORS G.C.LE COMPTE y W.SALKIND Dec. 27, 1949 cs. c. LE COMPTE ET AL WOOL CORING DEVICE Filed NOV. 8, 1946 HIHJII INVENTORS G.C. LE COMPTE BY I W.SALKIND ATTORNEY 9% 3949 e. c. LE coMPTE ETAL. 294929353 WOOL CORING DEVICE Filed Nov. 8, 1946 v s eets-Sheet s INVENTORS G.C. LE COMPTE BY WSALKWD ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 27, 1949 WOOL CORIN G DEVICE George C. Le Compte, Arlington, Va., and William Salkind, Washington, D. 0.

Application November 8, 1946, Serial No. 708,561

12 Claims. (01.73-425) (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as

amended April 30, 1928; 370 O. G. 757) This application is made under, the act of March 3, 1883, as amended by the act of April 30, 1928, and the invention herein described, if

patented, may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without'the payment to us of any royalty thereon.

'This invention relates to wool sampling, and particularly to a device for cutting out a sample of wool known as a core, from bagged wool.

It has been customary, in wool sampling devices, to make use of a rotating tube equipped at one end with a sharp cutting edge. The rotating tube is pushed into the Wool being sampled and cuts out a sample known as a core. Such a. device works very satisfactorily on highly compressed wool. However, in loosely packed wool it is found that the rotating sampling tube is inefiicient. There is a tendency to thrust aside and by-pass wool which should be sam pled. In addition, wool which is taken in is converted, by the rotary motion of the sampling tube, into a tightly twisted rope which then twists and binds upon itself tending to obstruct the sampling tube, thereby preventing a full core and rendering the actual sampling operation far more diflicult than it should be.

Previous elforts to get away from these difliculties have consisted in using wider tubes and in so designing the sampling tube that the cutting edge is smaller than the diameter of the main length of the tube. These modifications resulted in a partly satisfactory solution of the problem, but the troubles still persisted'to some extent, and the wide sampling tubes needed were heavy and unwieldy. Another disadvantage of the tube which is applicable both to the narrow tube and the wide tube is the fact that although the wool is cored, the tube has to be detached from the motor and the wool ejected by means of a plunger.

The improved device, here described, is intended to core both loosely packed and well packed bags of grease wool, obtaining complete cores easily and quickly, the cores being in an open, untwisted condition.

.Our invention is an improvement over the wool sampler described in Johnston and Le Compte Patent No. 2,378,484 of June 19, 1945. 50 means of bearings 9 and [0. Tube l is rotatably :The device consists of two tubes, an outer reattached to block I by a flange and thrust bear-v volving or oscillating tube and an inner stationing at [2. ary tube. The outer tube may have an internal Rigidly attached to the end of the tube 3 is a: spiral ridge in the throat, as described in the toothed cylindrical cutterll which contacts with Johnston and Le Compte patent. The wool is 55 or is closely adjacent to rotary cutter 2., The;

cut in a number of ways. In one, a tubular sharp cutting edge, which may be notched or toothed, is attached to the outer tube by means of a removable metal throat which extends within the inner tube. In another, toothed cutting or severing means is attached to both the outer revolving or oscillating tube and the inner stationary tube, the wool being caught between the teeth as the outer tube revolves or oscillates.

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates several embodiments of the invention,

Figure 1 is a longitudinal view of the form employing internal and external toothed cutters and also the rotary external tube;

Figure 2 is an enlarged view in longitudinal section of the cutters of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged external longitudinal view of the teeth of the cutters of Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal view of the modiflcation employing an oscillating or reciprocating external tube;

Figure 5 is a side view in section at line 5-5 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a longitudinal section Olf the throat end of the modification employing one notched cutter;

Figure 7 is a cross section of another form of cutter, being a completed section taken on line 1-1 of Figure 8;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary outer and side view of the cutters of Figure 7;

Figure 9 is a view of a modification of the device shown in Figure 6, having an internal spiral ridge in the removable throat.

Referring more particularly to the drawing,

the sampler of Figure 1 comprises an outer rotary cylindrical tube I having removably at-' tached thereto at the inlet end the toothed cylindrical cutter 2. Tube I is attached to gear 3 which meshes with gear 4. The latter gear is mounted on and is rotated by shaft 5 driven by an electric motor in casing 6.

Integral with or attached to casing 6 is a bracket or block I which supports, and to which is rigidly attached, stationary cylindrical tube 8. Tube 8 extends within the rotary tube l, the latter being rotatably supported on tube 8 by Figure l, differing in that the outer tube; lis.

oscillated or reciprocated, and not revolved. The

inner tube is stationary. Reciprocationoftubel is obtained by means of wheel or plate 13 which is rotated by the motor int; and by means:

of a reciprocating arm I4 which is rotatably fastened at One end to rotating plate l3 and at its other end to reciprocating ring [5, which, ring: is fastened on tube I.

In Figure 6 is shown. an alternative cutting means; which. may be substituted for the cuttersofi: Figures 1 and-.4. To arr outer rotating or reciprocating; tube I. is removably attached acutgter split: ring Hi formed of spring; steel, and preferably providing a. serratedor: toothed cutting edge. Gutter ring 16. is. fastened. in the: end of t-uhe- I!" byxmeansof euttenpin IT in the manner taught in the Johnston and Le Compte patent. Remoyablethroat" I85 is; fastened within tube I bymeansof' a. conventional bayonet, slot in I8 in which fits aipim l 9:fixed to-a-tube i. The inner surface; of throat; I8 may be: provided with spiral ridge; as; shown ircFigure 7.. Theinner end 20 of the rotating throat l8; extends within the stationary. tube; 8.--. Tube 8:- is. similar to tubewB,,being open at both ends. Tube lis otherwisesimilanto. tube: 1, and-may be revolved or oscillated.

Handles 21: are; provided for convenience.

Figure 9 is a modification of the device of Figure 6;, the. sole difference being in theprovision of a. spiral' ridge;- I8. projecting from the internal surface of the throat i8. This; assists: the inwardsmoyement' of the wool'core.

In Figures '7 and 8 are shown other cutting: or severing elementstobeemployedwith the oscillating tube of Figure; 4:, in. place of the cutters 2- and i I, and i6. Attached to outer oscillating tube I isa tubular ring 22 provided with teeth 23. Attached: to fixed" inner tube 8; or to a removable ring afilxed to tube 8 is a second seriesof severing elements or bars-24 interposedbetween and. alternating with the teeth 23. Teeth 23 are provided with two sharp edges 25 which squeeze and sever the wool When-the teeth are-:reciprocated to and from the stationary surfaces of bars 24. It is preferred that the amplitude of oscillation be such that the edges 25 of the sharpened teeth just meet-the flat surface of bars 24. The teeth 23 extend outwardly from the end of the oscillating tube 1. The teeth. 23, that is the sharp edges 25 thereof; also extend within the oscillating tube I. The teeth 23-and the barsZfl may: be interchanged, by placing theteeth 23 on the inner tube 8 and the bars 24 on the-outer tube i Both inner and outer tubes may be made to oscillate, or the outer tube may be held stationary andthe inner tubeoscillated. The preferred form iscthat first described.

In operation, the cutting edge, or edges, is pressed against the bag of wool being sampled, cutting the fibers to form a core. This core then enters tube 8 and is ejected at the other end. By the provision of" stationary: tube 8', the binding and other twisting difficulties: referred to above are obviated. Open, untwisted, complete cores are obtained from both loosely packed and well packed bags of grease wool, quickly and easily.

The device is applicable to other fibers. Mechanical modifications are within the purview. of. our. invention. For example, the inwardly projecting: part 201 needinot-be part of. the removable throat; it may be attached to or integral with the end of the outer tube I. Also, the shaft 5, of the motor in 6, need not be directly connected to the shaftof gear 4 or plate l3. A long fiexible shaft or. cable may be attached at one end to shaft 5 and at; the:- other to the gear or plate shaft. By so doing, the motor and easing 6 need not be mounted on the corer; it may be made a separatelysupported element or placed on the ground to lighten the sampling device.

Having thus. described our invention, we claim: 1. A sampler and corer for fibrous materials comprising an. outer rotary tube, a stationary tube longitudinally di'sposedwithin the outer. tube..-

motor driven means forrotating. the. outer tube, supporting means for maintaining theinner. tube. stationary, a. tubular toothed cutter on anend 01; said outer tube and rotating therewith, a; sta tionary tubular.- toothed cutter on the adjacent end ofthe stationary tube, the rotary cutter overlying; the stationary cutter, whereby uponapress? ing the cutters against a body of. the fibrousmae terial the strands of fiber are; caught. between the teeth and severed thereby, and introduced into. therinner stationarytube-to-form a: core, thetceth. of both the rotating and. the. stationary cutters eachhaving forward knifeedges. and-lateral knife edges, the other endof the outer rotary-tubebeins rotatably mounted upon said supporting means. through a thrust bearing.

2. The deviceofclaim 1 in which the, stationary. tubeis open-at the end opposite the. cutter. to per.- mit ejectionof the core at. said end.

3-. A. sampler and corer forfibrousmaterials comprising-an, outer tube, mounted to. move about its: longitudinal axis, a. stationary tubeI longituedinally disposed within the outer tube, motor. driven means for moving the. outer tube. about. its longitudinal axis, supporting means-for main? tainingthe inner tube stationary;v a. tubular toothed cutter on an end ofsaid outer tube. and. moving therewith, a stationary tubular toothed cutter on the adjacent end of the stationary tuba, themovable-cutter overlying the stationary cut..-- ter, whereby upon pressing the cutters againsta body, of the fibrouszmaterial the strands offiberv arecaught between the teeth and severed'thereby, and introduced into. the inner stationary tube. to. form acore, the teeth of both therotating and, the 1 stationarycutters each having forward; knife.- edges and lateral knife edges, the other end of. the outer rotary tube being rotatabiy' mounted; upon said supporting means through: a; thrust: bearing.

4'. Thedevice of'claim 3. in which the stationary" tube is open at" the end opposite the cutter; to. permit ejection of the core at. saidend;

5. The device of claim. 3 in whichthe meansformoving the outer tube comprises a reciprocating element that oscillates, the outer tube.

6. A sampler and corer for fibrous material's: comprising an outer tube mounted to move about its longitudinal axis, a stationary tube longitudinally disposed within the outer tube, means for moving the outer tube about itslongitudinal axis,. supporting means for maintaining: the inner tube stationary, a tubular cutter on an end of said outer tube, tubular means on said end and movin therewith and projecting into the inner stationary tube.

7. The device described in claim 6 in which the inner surface of the tubular means is provided with a spiral ridge to propel the core into the stationary tube.

8. A sampler and corer for fibrous materials comprising an outer tube mounted to move about its longitudinal axis, a stationary tube longitudinally disposed within the outer tube, motor driven means for moving the outer tube about its longitudinal axis, supporting means for maintaining the inner tube stationary, a tubular cutter on an end of said outer tube and moving therewith, means on said end providing an internal throat for said outer tube, the internal diameter of the stationary inner tube being greater, adjacent said throat, than the internal diameter of the throat.

9. A sampler and corer for fibrous materials comprising an outer tube, a second tube longitudinally disposed within the outer tube, severing the teeth of the other series, whereby the fibrous material is pressed between the teeth and severed.

10. The device defined in claim 9, the said means for oscillating having a driving connection with the outer tube to oscillate the latter, the inner tube being stationary.

11. The device defined in claim 9, the said means for oscillating having a driving connection with the outer tube to oscillate the latter, the inner tube being stationary and being open at the end opposite the teeth to permit ejection of the core.

12. The apparatus described in claim 3 in which the supporting means comprises a bracket rigidly attached to and depending from the inner tube, a motor housing attached to said bracket, one end of the outer tube being rotatably attached to the bracket, a motor in said housing and a driving connection between the motor and the motor driven means.

GEORGE C. LE COMPTE. WILLIAM SALKIND.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,105,189 Fallkin July 28, 1914 1,109,446 Melberg Sept. 1, 1914 2,074,020 Marholt Mar. 16, 1937 2,346,220 Kienzle et a1. Apr. 11, 1944 2,378,484 Johnston et a1 June 19, 1945 

